“Blended” travel grew in popularity among corporate travelers during the previous year, according to an October 2024 Global Business Travel Association poll. Extending a business trip for leisure time is nothing new, but the concept gained more attention in the years before the pandemic — and even more afterward as new work arrangements provided more flexibility for employees.

American Airlines was banking on blended travel as part of its pandemic recovery, but the associated strategy of appealing directly to corporate travelers while bypassing their employers never sat well with travel managers and ultimately failed.

There can be gaps in how companies manage trips that include leisure components, including the where and how behind booking, paying and reimbursing. There are also liability concerns, questions about insurance coverage and potential complications when family members accompany the employee.

Nevertheless, 46 percent of 331 buyers polled by GBTA in October said it was happening more even than a year ago.

Two-thirds of 1,012 business travelers surveyed in June by American Express indicated they had taken a blended trip. Of those, 85 percent were “more cost-conscious when planning one because they will be paying for part of it,” according to Amex, which also polled 502 business travel decision-makers at the same time. “Most companies surveyed (80 percent) who allow blended travel report that their duty of care covered both the personal and business part of the trip.”

See our coverage of traveler wellness here. Health experts advise taking breaks.